Switching back and forth between MSNBC and CNN last Thursday night as they aired competing, hour-long interviews with Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump, viewers ran the risk of whiplash. The threat lingered not just because Clinton and Trump were on opposite ends of the political spectrum, but because the tone and tenor of the two…
democrats blasting the republican-drafted road map as a cover-up, but managing to win an early concession from the republican leader. peter alexander starts our coverage reporter: tonight president trump is officially on trial. the senate will convene as a court of impeachment. reporter: both sides, house democrats who will prosecute, and the president s defense team arriving in the capitol, a dramatic scene on the senate floor. all 100 senators, the jurors warned not to speak. hear ye, hear ye, hear ye, all persons are commanded to keep silent on pain of imprisonment reporter: it follows a bitter clash over rules mitch mcconnell saying he was following the bill clinton impeachment model that allowed each side 24 hours to make its case. the process was good enough for president clinton and basic fairness dictates it ought to be good enough for this president as well. reporter: but democrats objecting to a key difference from the clinton rules, new limits that would force
baker the breach , you ll see all about it and in 1998 sold his vote and saying a vote for me is against impeaching bill clinton and telling the truth is a refreshing thing and what mcconnell said is true and not a one of them doesn t know how they are going to vote right now. but there is a difference because actually in the clinton process tim lott and tom dashel made a point of not talking to the white house hold on he staffed but he did not however he and trent lott got together and decided what are the rules and make sure this isn t a sham trial and mitch mcconnell has a different role in this proceeding than the other senators. he s supposed to be the jury foreman. if i were on trial and i knew that the jury foreman. if i were on trial why won t chuck schumer accept the clinton rules that they re throwing out now.
against a wall. this is a fight over whether and how to call witnesses in this trial. democrats look at the polls that show that calling witnesses is more popular than actually proceeding with impeachment, and they think they ve got leverage here. whether they do or not, i don t know. when mitch mcconnell talks about following the clinton model, i m not sure what he means. the senate voted in secret on some rules of the road. they didn t have live witnesses, they had some videotape witnesses. they have a lot of options here, but look, the polls are showing something like 60% of americans support calling witnesses, but the number for actual removal is much, much larger. no question, and my impression of what he means by follow the clinton rules is let s not deal with witnesses or documents until we start the trial, and then we ll do it the good old-fashioned way, we ll vote. or i ll find a way to block the votes, is probably what he s really thirnking. and that s not what democrat